LESSON 1 Medieval Philosophers

Philosophical Perspectives on the Self St. Augustine

General Objectives  introduced the concept of self in the past,

present, and future time and argued that one’s
- Explain why it is essential to understand the self.
identity can be determined by the mind’s
Examine the different influences, factors and forces
extendedness or its ability to extend back to any
that shape the self.
past action or forward to actions to come
-Compare and contrast how the self has been  echoed Socrates’ view on the bifurcated
represented across the different disciplines and (dualistic) nature of the human person:
perspectives. o an imperfect aspect that dwells in the world yet
yearns to be with the divine
-Demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing
o an aspect that is capable of reaching
the development of one’s self and identity by
immortality
developing a theory of the self.
 The goal of the human person is to attain
-"I am..." communion and bliss with the Divine by living a
virtuous life on earth
Ancient Philosophers
St. Thomas Aquinas
Socrates
 held that the human person is composed of two
 focused his attention on the problem of the self
parts:
 believed that the self emerges from one’s o Matter (hyle in Greek) refers to the
degree of understanding about the world and
common stuff that makes up everything in
knowing one’s capabilities and potentials
the universe
 Socrates believed every human person is o Form (morphe in Greek) refers to the
dualistic:
essence or substance of a thing
o an imperfect and impermanent body
 For Aquinas, the body is akin to the makings of
o a perfect and permanent soul
any other living being in the world. The soul is
 The ruler of the body is the soul. what animates the body and makes us humans.
Plato
Duality of the Human Person
 one of the first Philosophers to believe in an
enduring self that is represented by the soul Soul=Body
 supported Socrates’ idea on the duality of Contemporary and Modern Philosophers
human person and further posited that there
are three components of the soul René Descartes
 a rational part that govern the affairs of the
 famous for his cogito ergo sum - “I think
human person a spirited part in charge of
therefore, I am.”
emotions
 believed that only humans have the ability to be
 an appetitive part in charge of base desires like
actually self-aware of their own existence and
eating, drinking, sleeping, and having sex
try to figure out the meaning of life
 believed that the human person’s soul become
 the self is a dynamic entity that can do the
just and virtuous when the spirited and
mental operations associated with being a
appetitive parts are kept at bay
human self
Cartesian Duality

Mind= Body

The self is a thinking self.

John Locke Gilbert Ryle

 argued that humans are born blank slate or  blatantly denied the existence of an internal,
tabula rasa. The mind acquires knowledge non- physical self
through experience.  the “self” is not an entity one can locate and
 believed that one personal’s identity (self) lies analyze, it is simply the name that people use to
not in the brain but in one’s consciousness. This refer to all the behaviors they make.
is because one’s brain (as well as body) may  views the mind as consisting of dispositions
change overtime whereas consciousness always based on what people know, feel, want, etc.
remains intact  the mind’s existence is made visible and evident
 it is one’s consciousness that maintains the self in one’s activities like singing, dancing, running,
despite changes in the body and soul etc. not as a thing existing apart from and
parallel to the body (e.g. a soul).
The self is consciousness
The self is how you behave.
David Hume
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
 as an empiricist, Hume espoused the idea that
knowledge can only be possible if it is sensed  as a phenomenologist, he believed that the
and experienced human person is embodied through lived
 argued that all experiences can be categorized experiences problematized the mind-body
into two: problem asserting that it is futile and invalid
o as impressions/perceptions or the basic  He opposed the Cartesian cogito stating
objects of our experience or sensation that the “I think” implies an “I can”
o as ideas or mere copies of impressions  stresses that the self is best understood by
 the self is nothing but a bundle of impressions studying experiences as they occur and not
 rejected the existence of the soul/self. Any reducing them to their elementary
concept of self is simply memory and components
imagination.  the living body, one’s thoughts, emotions,
and all experiences are one
There is no self
The self is embodied in lived experiences.
Immanuel Kant

 rejected Hume’s idea of the self as a mere

combination of impressions
 argued for the existence of the mind by defining
it as the organizing principle that regulates the
impressions that one gets from the external
world defined the self as the seat of knowledge
acquisition for all humans
 spoke of a unified consciousness as the central
feature of the mind.
 the goal of the human person is to achieve unity
between one’s inner (psychological and
intellect) and outer senses (experience of the
physical world).

We construct the self.

LESSON 2: Social Identity

THE SELF SOCIETY AND CULTURE  The part of our self that is derived from group
membership
Objectives:
Marcel Mauss' Faces of the Self
 At the end of this lesson students are
expected to:  Moi refers to a person's sense of who one is:
 Discuss the different ways by which society one's body, identity, and biological givenness
and culture shape the self  Personne composed of the social concepts of
 Explain how the self can be influenced by what it means to be who one is: what it means
the different institutions in the society to live in a particular institution, family, religion,
Examine one’s self against the different or nationality
views of self that were discussed in the
Social Comparisons
class.
 The self is shaped by the inferences we make
Recall: Mind and Body Debate:
when we compare ourselves with others.
 Whatever relationship these two have is less
Leon Festinger's Social Comparison Theory
important than the fact that there is a self.
 suggests that people have the innate drive to
The self is distinct from other selves. It is always evaluate their abilities and opinions by
unique and has its own identity. considering social reality, which they establish
The self has its own thoughts, characteristics, by comparing themselves to others.
and volition.
People's Perception
The self in itself can exist. It does not require
any other self for it to exist.  How social relationships contribute to the
The self has a personality that is enduring and changing images of ourselves
therefore can be expected to persist for quite
some time. Charles Cooley's Looking Glass Self
The self is the center of all experiences and  refers to our tendency to use others as a mirror
thoughts that run through a certain person. for perceiving ourselves. As such, how
The whole process of sorting out information, significant others see us become show we see
feelings and emotions, and thought processes is ourselves
never accessible to anyone but the self. We imagine how we appear to others.
Social Constructionist Perspective We imagine how others judge our appearance.
We develop feelings about and respond to
 argued for a merged view of 'the person' and these judgements.
'their social context' where the boundaries of
one cannot be easily separated from the We are not influenced by other peoples' opinion per se.
boundaries of the other We are influenced by our own perceptions or opinions
 the self is in a constant struggle with external on how others see us.
reality and is malleable in its dealings with Culture
society
 The individual self develops within a particular
-Social Influences culture that structures how the self is to think,
Social Role feel, and act.

 The roles we play in everyday life influence the Language

way we view ourselves.
  Language allows the individual to take the role
of others and consequently perceive the self as
an object.

GENDER AND SEXUALITY READING

Lev Vygotsky's Socio-Cultural Theory
Gender & Sexuality
 Children acquire their cultural values, beliefs,
and problem-solving strategies through Biological Sex
collaborative dialogues with more Gender Expression
knowledgeable members of society. Gender Identity
 The community plays a central role in the Sexual Orientation
meaning making process.
Biological Sex
George Herbert Mead's Social Self Theory
 term generally used to refer to biological
 The self emerges from social interactions characteristics that distinguish males and
 Three Activities Develop the Self: females
Language  determined using the following biological
Play markers:
Games sex chromosomes (XX or XY)
gonads (ovaries or testes)
 Language develops self by allowing individuals gonadal hormones (estrogen or androgen)
to respond to each other through symbols, internal accessory organs (fallopian tubes and
gestures, words, and sounds. Language conveys uterus or vas deferens and seminal vesicles)
others' attitudes and opinions toward a subject external genitalia (vagina or penis)
or the person.
1 in 100 births
 Play develops self by allowing individuals to
take on different roles, pretend, and express  total number of people whose bodies differ
expectation of others. from standard male or female
 Games develop self by allowing individuals to
understand and adhere to the rules of the Gender Identity
activity. Self is developed by understanding that  is a subjective feeling which refers to one's
there are rules in which one must abide by. inner sense of oneself as male or female
The "Me"  tends to be dichotomous (male or female) given
a world that insists that there are only two
 organized set of attitudes of others that the sexes
individual assumes  may or may not be congruent with one's
 represents the learned behavior, attitudes, and biological sex
expectations of others and the society
 the self that is in the past

The "I"

 represents the individual’s identity based on

response to the “me”
 the response to the “me, ”or the person’s
individuality
 allows the individual to still express creativity
and individualism
 the self that considered present and future
Gender Expression

 is how you demonstrate gender through the

ways you act, dress, behave, and interact
 it refers to how you present your gender and
how those presentations are viewed based on
scoial expectations

Sexual Orientation

 is an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual or

affectional attraction to another person
 assessed based on the match between one's
gender identity and the gender identity of
one's desired or actual (romantic or sexual)
partner

Sex = Gender Identity = Gender Expression=Sexual

Orientation
The Self in Western and Eastern Thoughts Anthropological Perspective

WESTERN THOUGHT Culture

The idea of the separation of the mind and body has is the integrated system of learned patterns for
been ingrained in Western thought. Western behavior, ideas and products characteristic of a
philosophers gave more attention to the dualism of the society
body and the soul Culture and self structure each other

EASTERN THOUGHT (e) Collectivist Culture vs Individualist Culture (w)

Many eastern societies believe that the human person Individualist Culture
lives as a 'Shenti', not just a body or a mind, but both a
People are independent of their group.
body and a mind. Eastern Thought Everything is a
Personal goals are seen as more important than
combination of a yin or yang not just a ying or just a
the goals of the group.
yang
Stresses the "I" consciousness: emotional
Confucianism independence, individual initiative, the right to
privacy, autonomy.
Filial Piety is the cardinal value of Confucianism,
It stresses unquestioned obedience and respect Collectivist Culture
to authority
People are interdependent.
Understood the self as being part of dynamic
The goal of the group is seen as more important
relationships such as being a son, a brother, a
than one's own goals.
father, and so on.
Stresses the "We" consciousness: collective
Saw the human person as a social being whose
identity, emotional dependence, group
basic task is to the learn the science and art of
solidarity and sharing, and duties and
adjusting to the world. Confucianism
obligations
Taoism
(e) Relational Self vs Separated Self (w)
Taoism means living the way of the Tao or the
Separated Self
universe
It rejected the hierarchy and strictness bought Self-contained and independent self defined by
by Confucianism. The ideal self is selflessness clear boundaries
but this not mean forgetting about the self. The The self is often described in terms of trait
essence of the self is living a balanced life. descriptions or unique attributes (e.g. "I am
It also rejects a single definition of the Tao. smart. " "I play softball. "
Everything should be kept open and free-
flowing. Relational Self

Buddhism Relational and interdependent self with fluid

boundaries
Nirvana is the state of detachment from the The self is often described in terms of social
cravings of the self, breaking the attachments roles (e.g. in term of whose child you are, your
one has with the world birth order, your work)
The self is an illusion, born out of ignorance, of
trying to hold and control things, or human-
centered needs.
The self is the source of all sufferings, thus the
human person's ultimate quest is to forget
about the self.
(e)Interdependent Self vs Independent Self (w) Core Value Kapwa

Independent Self The ako (ego) and the iba sa akin (others) are only one
and the same in kapwa psychology. “Hindi ako iba sa
Focus: Individuality
aking kapwa (I am no different from others).” (Enriquez,
Goal: to become independent from others and
1978, p. 264)
to discover and express one's unique qualities
Exemplified by many Western cultures Ibang-tao (Outsider)
Hindi-Ibang-tao (One of us)
Interdependent Self
Pivotal Interpersonal Value
Focus: Self-in-relation to others
Goal: to maintain interdependence among  connects the core value kapwa to the surface
individuals and requires seeing oneself as part values
of social relationship or a larger social unit  Pakikiramdam (shared inner perception)
Exemplified by many Asian cultures, African
Linking Socio-personal Value
cultures, Latin American cultures, and Eastern
European cultures  Connects core value kapwa to the societal
values
Sikolohiyang Pilipino
 Kagandahang Loob (shared humanity)
 is the study of diwa (psyche) which refers to a
wide range of psychological/philosophical
concepts:
kamalayan (consciousness);
ulirat (awareness of one’s immediate
surroundings);
isip (knowledge and understanding);
diwa (habits and behavior; and
kalooban (emotions or feelings)
kaluluwa (the soul)

Virgilio Enriquez

Ama ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino Fr. Jaime Bulatao, SJ

The Filipino self as embodied by the Kapwa or
the self with others  Filipino Transpersonal Psychology
 The Filipino self as embedded in the Group
Filipino Values According to Our Colonizers

Hiya
Utang na Loob
Pakikisama

Confrontative Surface Values

Bahala na
Lakas/Sama ng Loob
Pakikibaka

Societal Values

Karangalan
Katarungan
Kalayaan